The PhET project has developed over 80 interactive simulations for teaching and learning science, of which approximately 20 address chemical concepts. PhET simulations are freely available at http://phet.colorado.edu and are designed to create animated, interactive, game-like environments in which students learn through scientific exploration. Our design process is strongly grounded in research. Numerous studies have shown that students can solve problems in chemistry without understanding the particulate nature of matter. PhET simulations address this student difficulty through the use of multiple representations, including displaying the invisible (atoms, molecules, electrons) and the visual models used by experts. In this talk, we present results from our research examining how 'showing the invisible' impacts student learning.

PhET interactive simulations: New tools for teaching the particulate nature of matter

239th National Meeting (2010)

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